Vehicle spring clip



Jan. 3, A1933. G. w. CRABTREE 1,893,229

VEHICLE SPRING CLIP Filed March 5, 1951 INVENTOR m, MIM/hm ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES FFICEI GEORGE W. QRABTREE, or onnvnLANn HEIGHTS, oHro vEnIoLnf'sriune om? Application inea Maren 5,

My invention relates to an improvement in detachable clips for leaf spring'syandsm general my object is tol y'provide a clip'which is particularly constructed to be 'easily attached to a laminated vehicle spring and-also readily removed therefrom-,and which when aiiXed to the spring leaves will hold the same firmly againstspreading "or fanning. `The clip' includes a spring locking member to i@ maintain it under spring-tension, to prevent looseness and rattle, and to take upv wear. The clip body is foldable and the locking device reenforces and secures thev clip against n unfolding when these parts are secured together in place upon the vehicle spring, although made and fashioned to permit separation and removalfthereofA simply 'and expeditiously when the clip itself is to be detached from the vehicle spring, all as herein- 'i 20 after shown and described and as exemplified Y' in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1l is a side elevation of a.-vehic`le fspring equipped with a pair of clips made according to my invention. Fig, 2 is ari-enlarged view of the' clip mountedV upon `an inverted portion of a vehicle spring. Fig. 8 is *la cross sectional view of the clip'and spring ony lineS--Svof Fig. 2, and`-Fig.4 is alongitudinalsection on line .1 -lof `Fig.'2. ;Figsg5 .30 and 6 are perspective views of the' lock-ing member and clip respectively. Figs'.V 'Zand 8 are perspective views of'a modifiedform of locking device, and clip, respectively. Fig. 9 isa perspective view of a modified l form' of `locking device for the clip shown in rig. e.

Vehicle springs-of the leafy or laminated type are customarily provided with metal clips to prevent separation andV lateral spreading of the superposed leaves, and these clips are commonly riveted or iiXed in some suitable way kto one of the leaves, and there,- fore, not readily removable and replaceable. The present clip is expressly made to permit convenient attachment and detachment,I and isan improvement on the clip shown and described in myapplication for patent, filed on the 10th day'of October, 1930, Ser. No. 487,655. Thus, the body 2 of the'present 5' clipV C is of the same rectangular shape asthe between theQb'o'X clip and the vehicle spring it lips whe'ntheslot vor opening in the tongue,-

1931"., serial n.' "$20,281.v

angular boizclipreferred to, and made-narrow-er ini lpart in itsconnecting portion 3 and divided inpart topermit itto be readily buckled'and foldedaround a laminated vehicle spring A. Vlhen'sle'eved: over the vehicle" spring, the divided partsorinturned lan'gesZl--t 'ofthe clip',` are brought together and foldeddown upon an outer leaf 5-of the spring lbut'with a' slight space or gap be-` tween lsuch parts; A loosel` t is thus permittcd ,in installing the present device, to accommodate'slight variations in width and thickness of the spring leaves inasmuchV as similar springs dilier very often in'those respect's. However provisionv is madeto lock the clipunder` spring tension when aiiiXed to thieivehicle springv so that such variation and Iwear'willlce compensated for and rattle and chatter'prevented.l n Y Tofaster'such andf'othe'r objects the present Y clip" has thev inner or opposed -edges of its inturned i ends VV`orl flanged portions Ji-4:' provided with 'corresponding-f relatively short lips6`6 which projectoutwardlyin parallel relation' 'and are preferablyslightly rounded f at their louter edges. lhen the' clip is fold- :edl over the spring leavestheselips `6,''6 are broughtclosely together, andthe flanges or, end portions Aare spaced apart vfrom thev jouter leaf 5 off the' spring where theyoverlap `it,fth"ereloy permitting a -thinspring-steel locking plate to be-inserted in this space. PlateBincludes-a springtongueT lhaving an' opening 8 therein adapted tojreceive the lock- I ing'lipsjt,-46` of clipC whenthispla'te isV slipped into place. f 1 Thelm'ain loody or base portionv of the springlocking plate or clip'B is cambered or curvedrso that'when inserted into thespace p will flatten" outmore` or less and act asa tension rspringloetvveen said parts and alsofcause the V,slotted spring rtongue to bear down upon the flanges'fordivided wall ofthe boX clip-with Y spring lockingv ei'ect. f The tongue itself iis i flexible and possesses inherent spring. properties to permitjit to ride over the rounded pro- Y jections or lips on the boXclipV and to eect a locking connection'with said projections or registers therewith in slipping the locking plate or clip into locking position. One function of the spring plate is to take up or compensate for a loose fit between the box clip and the vehicle spring and to prevent noise and rattle, andanother important function of this plate is to lock the split or divided portions or flanges of the box clip rmly together so that the clip will not open up or unfold under lateral spreading or fanning movements of the spring leaves. On the other hand, it is necessary at times in repairing and in that case a prying instrument can be inserted under the free end of the locking tongue to lift it apart from the lockinglips on the box clip, thereby permitting these parts to be readilyseparated. The box clip can then be 'opened -or unfolded and removed from the vehicle spring. Y

To prevent the box clip from backing 0H or-worling itself free from its locking position on the vehicle spring, the leaf upon which the spring locking plate or clip is seated may be formed with an indentation or protuberance 9 which will serve as a stop detent for the locking plate and boxl clip. However,

this stop or detent is not absolutely necessary if the seating portion of the locking plate or clip is constructed to produce more friction or to press with greater force against the vehicle spring at the open end of lthe spring locking plate or clip. For example the spring locking clip B shown in Figs. l to 6 is provided at its reverted end with a pair of short spring seats -or bearing extensions 10, and the opposite or free end of the main body or base portion of this locking clip is straight and of greaterseating area or nearly as wide as thel vehicle spring itself so that when the vehicle spring is 'Iiexed in use the tendency ofthe spring locking clip is to shift in the direction of the line of least resistance toward its reverted end and inthe direction of the thickerl central portion of the vehicle spring ora higher superposed leaf instead of inthe opposite direction towarda lower leaf or the graduated thinner end of the vehicle spring. A Y

In Figs. 7 and 8 I showV a modified form of the invention, comprising a divided box spring D having a set of notched locking lips #cr-.adapted :to receive a pair of T-shaped locking tongues -bextending in opposite directions from a curved or cambered spring plate -E-, and in Fig. 9 a fur-ther modified form of spring locking plate -F is delin eated which is provided with a single extension -dformed centrally in the reverted or `double end edge of the plate;

What I claim, is:V

1. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, .having a divided main body, and a cambered .spring plate adapted to be interposed between` saidV bodyfand vehicle` spring. said body and plate having co-operating interlocking means for locking the divided portions of said main body separably together and holding saine in anti-rattling connection with said vehicle spring.

2. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having a divided body, and a plate hav-ing a spring tongue for locking the divided portions disconnectibly together.

3. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having a freely-bendable Wall porn Ation and divided extremities, and a spring the vehicle spring to remove the box clips,"

plate vseated within said box clip having means .for locking said divided extremities together.

4. A box clip for' laminated vehicle springs, having a freely-bendable ,connecting wall and dividedextreniities, a cambered springplate spanning the inner sides of said divided extremities, and means for locking said dividedl extremities against unfolding movements. f f

5,. A j box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having Va divided body and a connecting wall of vreduced cross, section to permit folding of the clip medially thereof, and a separate spring plate in spanning and locking connection with the dividedportions of said body. n n. l Y

l6. A -box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having a divided bodyformed with a freely-bendable wall medially thereof, and a cambered spring plate having ay flexible tongue for connecting lthe divided portions of said body together. l

7'. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, havinga divided -body formed with locking projections, and a cambered spr-ing plate adapted to be interposed betweeny said box clip and yvehicle spring, said plate having a locking. tongue adapted to overlap ,the divided portionsof said body.

8. A box: clip' for laminated vehicle springs, having a divided body, and a spring plate adapted to be interposed between said clip and 'spring having a reverted locking -tongue adaptedto embrace Vand lock the divided portions of said body together.

9. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having a divided body, and asp-ring locking plate for said divided body having bearing portions of unequalarea at'opposite ends thereof to seat upon the vehicle spring.

1 0. A Ibox clip 'for laminatedl vehicle springs, having a divided'body, and a spring plate having a reverted locking tongue for the divided portions of said body and spring bearing extensions adapted to seat upon said vehicle spring.V u

1l. A box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having a divided wall formed with rounded locking projections, and a spring Vplate adapted to be interposed between said wall .and the vehicle spring having a fiexib'le 1Z0 locking tongue formed with an opening to receive said locking projections.

12. A foldable box clip for laminated vehicle springs, having divided extremities, each formed with a, locking projection, in

combination with a fiat spring member having an opening therein to receive both locking projections and prevent unfoldment of said clip under fanning movements of the 1Y0 laminations, and said flat spring member having pressureengaging contact with said clip to hold it frictionally under tension against one of the laminated leaves of said vehicle springs. In testimony whereof I aix my'signature.

GEORGE W. CRABTREE. 

